1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an item or items utilized in a metalpoint drawing system. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a tool, a shading guide, and/or a prepared drawing surface utilized in the metalpoint drawing system.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, metalpoint drawing techniques involve the use of a drawing instrument by an artist on a prepared drawing surface. Such drawing instrument may include a rigid silver stylus and such drawing surface may be prepared by applying a coating, such as a so-called gesso or Chinese white coating, to an opaque or substantially opaque sheet of drawing paper, board, carrier, or the like intended to abrade the stylus leaving an indelible mark on the drawing surface.
The use of such rigid stylus and the drawing surface prepared upon the opaque or substantially opaque material may limit the gamut or range of shading an artist may achieve in the drawing. In order to overcome the gamut limits and achieve a wider range of shading, the artist would wash the drawing with a dark or light wash as needed. For instance and as shown in FIG. 1(a), diagram 10 represents a gamut or range of tones 20–70 which may be produced by a metal stylus of the present invention on a prepared drawing surface. Tone 80 represents the base coating and the lightest tone. Conventional rigid styli may produce tones 50 through 70 when applied to the prepared drawing surface. In order to obtain tones 20 through 40 or smoother transitional tones, an artist would have to enhance the drawing using a tinted wash or other agents such as graphite.
As a result, in order to achieve a desired subtlety and/or wide range of shading, the artist may need to perform one or more enhancing or washing steps.